The Dalai Lama's office says the 71-year-old monk will attend a two-day conference on peace at Hiroshima and stay in Japan until November 12th. The Dalai Lama will deliver lectures in Hiroshima, Tokyo and other cities and attend a Buddhist ceremony.

The Japanese government has permitted the Dalai Lama to visit on the condition that he refrain from making any political comments that might irk China.

This is the Dalai Lama's 12th visit to Japan, where Buddhism is one of the main religions.

China routinely opposes such visits. It accuses the Dalai Lama of trying to separate Tibet from China.